By Tara V. Kohlenberg —

Oscar Haas was well known as the historian and record-keeper of New Braunfels and Comal County. He documented a hundred years of our community’s progress through twenty years of newspaper articles and a published book. Now in its fourth printing, The History of New Braunfels and Comal County, Texas 1844-1946, a book by Oscar Haas, set the standard for historical documentation about German immigration. It has been the “go-to” for generations of researchers, but there is nothing like hearing his voice as he tells his own story.

“I was born on October 12, 1885, on land which is now at the bottom of Canyon Lake…. We moved to Twin Sisters. My parents decided to move to New Braunfels so that their children could have more education than they would have gotten (in Twin Sisters).” He attended the New Braunfels Academy but dropped out in sixth grade. “I could get a job selling groceries and delivering groceries at $12 a month. That was a lot of money. They taught me to ride a bicycle and go out once a week and ride around town and take up orders from the housewives, then come back and fill those orders and put ’em in baskets and then hitch up a horse and deliver the groceries around town.”

He clerked in another general merchandise store for several years. “We had to have conversations in English and Spanish, and of course, German. They wanted the clerk to speak their language or they wouldn’t buy from you.” Haas opened his own store in the 1920s. “We handled ready-to-wear, men’s and boy’s and children’s ready-to-wears and shoes and hats, millinery, and dress materials, by the yard and all kinds of trinkets. It was in the Richter Building. I had a partner, Walter Wiedner, so we called it Oscar Haas and Company. When the Depression hit, then we lost. It was loss, loss, loss, and finally you lost everything, ja.”

That loss prompted him to run for Comal County Treasurer in the 1934 election. He served as Treasurer for 28 years, unopposed. That is when the history bug bit him. “Yes, I just got stung in 1934, and fortunately, men like Herman Seele, the first schoolteacher” were still around. “He was a tall, pleasant faced, full-bearded man and always interested in greeting the people as he came walking down the street, particularly children. He always stooped down to shake hands with the children.”

“One day, I was in Otto Rohde’s — who was then County Clerk of Comal County’s Office — I saw on the shelf where the first book of the minutes of the Comal County Commissioners Court. I asked Otto, could I look at it? As I opened it up, I saw the recording of the very first session of the Comal County Commissioners Court in 1846. I found it so interesting that I took it down to the editors of the New Braunfels Zeitung, the German-language newspaper, and to the New Braunfels Herald, the English-language newspaper.” They both told him that if he wrote weekly installments from the minutes, they would print it. It took about three years. “After that was finished, I went through the minutes of the first church in New Braunfels, which also took about three years. And then after that, went through the City Council minutes.” All of them were in German and required translation to English to be published in the New Braunfels Herald. In 1961, he and his wife wrote a history series in 144 weekly installments, “Comal County in the Civil War”, translated from Ferdinand Lindheimer’s German-language newspaper articles of the 1860s.

Haas retired from his job of county treasurer in 1962 to devote time to compiling his vast collection of historic materials into the definitive History of New Braunfels and Comal County, 1845-1946 first published in 1968. The knowledge and information gained from all the years of going through official city, county and church minutes was a tremendous foundation for his book. He did further research into translated writings of Carl, Prince of Solms-Braunfels, Dr. Ferdinand Roemer, and others to fill in the earliest parts of New Braunfels’ history.

Other published works include Chronological History of the Singers of German Songs in Texas (1948); The First Protestant Church, Its History and Its People:1845-1855 (1955); and a translation of the Civil War diary of Capt. Julius Giesecke of New Braunfels. He contributed multiple articles to the Handbook of Texas History and received numerous honors for his devotion to history. Not bad for a sixth-grade dropout.

While going about my research for this story, I looked for something different than what others had written about him. I looked for his voice. Among the treasures that are held by the Sophienburg Museum and Archives is a stash of oral histories, the “Reflections” program, professionally recorded since 1976. Oscar Haas was number three. He was 90 at the time of the recording. I pulled the recording from the studio and played it for Don Cooper, the volunteer that has faithfully been cataloging the Oscar Haas Collection for at least two years. It was entrancing. Don’s face lit up as he actually heard the voice of the man that created boxes and boxes of notes written on scraps of paper and backs of old ballots. I could hear the impish demeanor and twinkle in the eye of a man I only saw in photos. His voice took me back to childhood, when my grandparents and many of the store clerks spoke with a little German accent and a “ja” on the end.

“Reflections” is still recorded and airs 9 a.m. Sundays on KGNB. Copies are available for purchase. Is your parent or grandparent recorded as they talk about New Braunfels? Wouldn’t it be great if you could hear their voice again? We also want to record your stories about growing up and living in New Braunfels. Call us at the Sophienburg, 830-629-1572.

Sources: Sophienburg Museum & Archives; Handbook of Texas Online.

The post The voice of Oscar Haas appeared first on Sophies Shop.

Keva Hoffmann Boardman —

I have always found that the imagery of an idiom helps me to better understand a person’s meaning. However, discerning the meaning behind an idiom, or expression, in a foreign language is often challenging.

At the Sophienburg, we are faced with interpreting German expressions when we translate letters and newspaper accounts. While a true, literal translation often sounds like gibberish, we find that there is sometimes similarity in German and English idioms if we dig for the intended meaning.

Think of the following examples as “little pearls of wisdom” to take into 2022.

Eine einzige Nuss rappelt nicht im Sacke.

Literally – A single nut doesn’t rattle the sack.

Meaning – One event is insignificant; you can forgive one mistake.

Der Fisch stinkt vom Kopf her.

Literally – The fish stinks from the head down.

Meaning – Problems start at the top.

Ich bin keine Kuh, die man melken kann.

Literally – I am not a cow that man can milk.

Meaning – Said to those who always ask for money or for you to pay.

Wer weiss, warum die Gänse barfuss gehen.

Literally – Who knows why the geese go barefoot.

Meaning – That’s just how it is; like “Does a bear s**t in the woods?”

Die Kirche im Dorf lassen.

Literally – Leave the church in the village.

Meaning – Calm down, don’t go overboard.

Er hat das Pulver nicht gerade erfunden.

Literally – He didn’t invent gunpowder.

Meaning – Dim-witted; “he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed.”

Wer Feuer frisst, scheissst Funken.

Literally – He who eats fire, s**ts sparks.

Meaning – You get what you give; “he who lives by the sword dies by the sword.”

Das ist ein Streit um des Kaisers Bart.

Literally – That is an argument over the emperor’s beard.

Meaning – Being pedantic; “splitting hairs.”

Du hast einen Vogel im Kopf.

Literally – You have a bird in the head.

Meaning – You are crazy.

Alles hat ein Ende, nur dir Wurst hat zwei.

Literally – Everything has an end, only sausage has two.

Meaning – (self-explanatory)

Langes Fädchen, faules Mädchen.

Literally – Long thread, lazy girl.

Meaning – Comes from sewing and means do the job right.

Lange Rede, kurzer Sinn.

Literally – Long speech, short meaning.

Meaning – Saying a lot without saying a lot at all.

Loch in Erde, Bronze rin, Glocke fertig, bim, bim, bim! (reference from a Schiller poem)

Literally – Hole in earth, pour bronze in, bell is ready, bim, bim, bim!

Meaning – Just get the job done without any fuss.

Lügen haben kurze Beine.

Literally – Lies have short legs.

Meaning – Lies will eventually be found out.

Alles aufs Spiel setzen.

Literally – To place everything on a game.

Meaning – To risk it all; “put all your eggs in one basket.”

An’s Kissen horchen.

Literally – To listen on the pillow.

Meaning – To go sleep; to “hit the sack.”

Aus einem traurigen Arsch kommt selten ein fröhlicher Furz.

Literally – Out of a sad a** seldom comes a joyful fart.

Meaning – If a person is a certain way, don’t expect them to behave contrary to that.

Bei ihm ist der Groschen gefallen.

Literally – The “Groschen” fell for him.

Meaning – Enlightenment; the “penny dropped.”

Bei Nnacht sind alle Kuhe schwarz/alle Katzen grau.

Literally – At night all cows are black/all cats are grey.

Meaning – Sometimes the difference between things doesn’t matter.

Es hat ihm die Sprache verschlagen.

Literally – It hit his speech.

Meaning – At a loss for words; flabbergasted.

Das ist Schnee von gestern.

Literally – This is snow from yesterday.

Meaning – This is nothing new.

Das ist gehüpft wie gesprungen.

Literally – This is jumped as well as sprung.

Meaning – It makes no difference; “six of one and half dozen of another.”

Das Leben its wie eine Hühnerleiter: Eng, steil und beschissen.

Literally – Life is like a chicken ladder: Narrow, steep and s**t upon.

Meaning – (self-explanatory)

Dem ist das Hemd zu kurz gekommen.

Literally – For him, the shirt came too short.

Meaning – He didn’t get his share.

Der Abend is klüger als der Morgen.

Literally – The evening is smarter than the morning.

Meaning – Hindsight is better than foresight.

Der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Baum/Stamm.

Literally – The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree/stem.

Meaning – The child’s character is similar to the parent; “like father like son.”

Der hat ihm in die Grütze gespuckt.

Literally – He spat in his (someone else’s) porridge.

Meaning – Messed up someone’s plans/day; “he peed in someone’s cornflakes.”

Der Spatz in der Hand ist besser als die Taube auf dem Dach.

Literally – A sparrow in the hand is better than a dove on the roof.

Meaning – Be content with what you have; “a bird in hand is worth two in the bush.”

Die Kirschen in Nachbars Garten sind immer süsser.

Literally – The cherries in neighbor’s garden are always sweeter.

Meaning –“Grass is greener on the other side of the fence.”

Die Spatzen pfeifen es vom Dach.

Literally – The sparrows whistle it from the roof.

Meaning – The news is out; “a little birdie told me.”

Die Witze eines Reichen sind immer lustig.

Literally – The jokes of the rich are always funny.

Meaning – People laugh at the jokes of the one they want to impress or benefit from.

Die Würfel rollen wie sie wollen.

Literally – The dies fall as they want.

Meaning – Life’s unpredictability; “let the chips fall where they may.”

Dreck macht Fett.

Literally – Dirt makes fat.

Meaning – 5-second rule when food drops to the ground; “a little dirt never hurt anyone.”

Du gehst wie der Storch im Salat.

Literally – You walk like a stork in the lettuce.

Meaning – You are a picky eater or too careful a worker.

Eckige Eier legen kann ich noch nicht.

Literally – I cannot yet lay eggs with corners.

Meaning – I cannot do the impossible.

Ein grosser Hut macht noch keinen Edelmann.

Literally – A big hat does not make one a nobleman.

Meaning – Pretention doesn’t change the facts.

Er hat zu tief ins Glas geguckt.

Literally – He has looked in the glass too deeply.

Meaning – He is drunk; “deep in his cup.”

Er ist nicht auf den Mund gefallen.

Literally – He has not fallen on his mouth.

Meaning – He is quick with his replies, clever in his answers.

Es ist so sauer, da zieht es einem die Löcher in den Socken zusammen.

Literally – It is so sour, it pulls together the holes in one’s socks.

Meaning – Wow…that is really sour.

Sources: Guten Appetit!, Sophienburg Museum cookbook, Oscar Haas Collections, germanproverbs.wordpress.com

The post Express it with words appeared first on Sophies Shop.

By Keva Hoffmann Boardman —

It was a sweltering hot, end-of-summer, August Sunday in 1894, just perfect for a picnic by the river. Marie and Hugo Kramer gathered up their three children and joined Marie’s siblings, Georg and Lydia Hartman, and their in-laws Wilhelm and Walli Hartmann with their two children. Mrs. Williams and her three children tagged along. The group found a beautiful spot on the bank of the Guadalupe River at the top end of what is now Cypress Bend Park. The river came around the bend there and formed a beach-like sand bar with a shallow area where the children could wade and play. Quilts were spread out on the ground, baskets opened, shoes removed and adults and children tested the cool water. After getting their families happily settled, Mr. Kramer and Mr. Hartman walked downriver about a mile to do some fishing away from the giggling and frolicking kids.

At some point in the afternoon, 14 year-old Clara Kramer shouted; she had stepped off the sandbar into deep water and gone under. Mrs. Kramer, Mrs. Hartman and Mrs. Williams immediately recognized the child’s danger and jumped in after her. Two of the women instantly disappeared from the surface but Mrs. Williams struggled, and grabbing hold of a rock made it to shore where she then lost consciousness. The children ran safely back to the river’s edge, but George and Lydia Hartman risked the water in an attempt to save the three who had gone under and barely escaped drowning themselves.

A young stranger was fishing nearby and hearing the shouts and splashing water, rushed to the scene to help. He managed to retrieve the lifeless body of Mrs. Hartman which had bobbed to the surface.

The news of the accident quickly spread through New Braunfels, bringing Mr. Kramer and Mr. Hartmann along with hundreds of concerned people to the river bank to search for the missing mother and daughter. Hours later, J.D. Guinn found little Clara’s body downstream. The menfolk searched all night, torches lit, calling for Mrs. Kramer. She was finally found on Monday further downstream from her daughter. Ironically, Marie Kramer was an excellent swimmer and most agreed that she could have saved her daughter and sister-in-law if she had been clad in a light bathing dress instead of her regular clothing.

Maria Hartman Kramer (36) and Clara Kramer (14) were buried next to Walli Wastel Hartmann (23) in Comal Cemetery the following day. The town mourned.

The August 19, 1894 tragedy was deeply felt in this river-crossed town and indeed, tugged at the sympathies of folks across Texas. Newspaper articles revealed that an undercurrent, not the inability to swim, was the reason for the drownings. It was said that the women were dragged down into a whirlpool created by a “cave” or hole in the river bottom and washed along underground before exiting through other openings downstream. What a terrible way to go.

From that time on, children were told not to swim in that part of the river because of whirlpools. A sign was erected to alert folks about possible whirlpool dangers at that point of the river. My dad was warned about swimming there when he was a boy in the 1930s. There were still many people alive who remembered that disastrous picnic.

As a child, my brother and I were told about the whirlpools. I have a memory of standing on the riverbank licking an ice cream cone and watching the swirling green water while fearful visions of being pulled under and drowning swirling through my mind. Later, when we had Girl Scout Summer Day Camp at Cypress Bend Park, it truly never entered any of our minds to get into that whirlpool water no matter how hot it got. I told my children about the threat of whirlpools when they were little. I feel sure I was not the only one to spread the fear.

A couple of weeks ago, Sophienburg Museum director Tara Kohlenberg and I took David Hartmann driving around Comaltown to learn more about that part of New Braunfels. Stopping in Cypress Bend Park to bemoan the loss of the WPA-built amphitheater, he walked us over to the riverbank and pointed to a place in the middle saying, “Some of my relatives drowned in a whirlpool just there.”

My heart skipped a beat and I madly scribbled the 1894 story down as he was talking. I actually felt my old fear of this part of the Guadalupe welling up inside me. I looked at the water. It was so lovely and peaceful. No ripples or eddies blemishing the surface or swirls indicating dangerous currents. A family was splashing happily on the sandbar, oblivious to the events that occurred there over a hundred years ago. I had to keep myself in check and not run screaming, “Danger! Whirlpools!” lest they call the cops to subdue the strange lady.

It was weirdly vindicating to hear him tell about the Kramer-Hartmann drownings; my fear was not irrational. Do whirlpools still occur in that stretch of the river? There is no longer a sign. I suspect there are undertows and undercurrents all along the Guadalupe as it flows around rocks, buried tree trunks, flood debris and silted up areas. Maybe some of you kayakers can give me a shout and let me know.

It could all be just fine, but you won’t be catching me in that water.

Sources: Sophienburg Museum & Archives: Oral history interview with David Hartman, October 2020; Sacherer-Hartman Family History (FH1); Neu Braunfels Zeitung collection; Oscar Haas German obituary transcriptions.

The post Waters of Cypress Bend Park appeared first on Sophies Shop.